For the first time in his 34 start career six-year-old gelding Thermal Current has put back to back wins on the board.
Twenty-five of those 34 starts have been in stakes races. His fourth stakes victory came in Saturday's W.J. Adams Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield.
It came courtesy of a rails-hugging ride by Damian Lane. The son of Exceed And Excel needed to go around just the long-time leader Shakespearean Lass (Written Tycoon) in the final 100 metres to win by a neck. (photo Grant Courtney).
Thermal Current is one of those horses that seems to have been around for ages.
At two he was beaten by Horse Of The Year Dissident and the Darley Stud resident Kuroshio in the Blue Diamond Preview (C&G) while some of his other contemporaries like Zoustar are resting up after their third season at stud.
Thermal Current has proved a wonderful servant to his breeders and owners Contract Racing Pty Ltd and Mr & Mrs N Psaltis.
He advances his overall record to 7 wins, 3 seconds and 6 thirds from 34 starts with earnings of $640,000.
Now trained by Darren Weir after Peter Moody formed his early career, Thermal Current has added plenty of value to his yearling half-brother by Redoute's Choice catalogued in the Amarina Farm draft for the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling sale.
Weir said he has bigger goals mapped out for Thermal Current in the near future.
"The Oakleigh Plate (is next) I suppose. He's going well and there
"You'd have to have a think about it the way he went there."
"He (Lane) rode in, got the luck and the horse is going terrific.
"I thought he'd run really well today. He won well at Flemington and he's gone on from that.
"When he tracked up behind them, I thought, 'well he gets his chance anyway' and he let go well."
Thermal Current is out of the Listed Proud Miss Stakes winner Soaressa (Twining) a half-sister to Group I Queensland Derby winner Eagle Way (More Than Ready) and to another Proud Miss Stakes winner Assertive Eagle (Danewin) and dual Listed stakes-winner Impressive Eagle (Rubiton).
With her yearling colt by Redoute's Choice heading to the sales, Soaressa produced a full brother to Thermal Current last spring and was covered again by Exceed And Excel.